Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-22
THE VERDICT.
The Jury Find Munchrath Guilty Of
Manslaughter.
His Counsel VIII Ask tor New Trial
1.-THE Verdict Meets With Gen
sraI Approval.

Sioux CRY, Sept 1S,--At $50 o'clock
this afternoon the Jury In the case of Fred
Munchrath, Jr,, who has been on trial for
the murder OF Rev, George c. Haddock,
came into court and announced its verdict,
The verdict Is, 1--WE, the jury find the
defendant guilty Of manslaughter. The
jury had retired at $3.50 o'clock the pre-.
ceding evening. All night and through
the forenoon OF to-day there was absolute.
lyno authentic tidings from the jury All
sorts OF rumors, however, We're ailoat
One rumor last night was that the jury
stood eight for acquittal and four fer con.
yiction, This morning there was rumor
that the jury stood eleven for acquittal
and one for conviction, These rumors
fairly described general expectation rs TO
the action Of the jury. The first intima-
ton directly from the jury was AT 1890
| O'Clock this afternoon, when a baii.n was
dispatched TO Judge Wakefield TO notify
him that the Jury had agreed, But u was
over an hour before he was found, and In
the meantime the Jury ordered dinner
brought in SO that IL was after o clock
before they were ready to come into the
court room, The attorneys, both for the
State and the defense. had been notified
and were present, Munohrath. the de-
PENDANT, came Into court looking pale and
haggard, accompanied by his father
Munchrath had been all the time assured
by his counsel aud his oodcfendants
aud associates of the absolute certainty
Of his acquittal The news OF the
readiness of the jury To report
report had gone out, and large crowd
of spectators had gathered in the court
room. There was painful silence when
| the court put the usual interrogation TO
the jury and for response the foreman
handed the clerk the sealed verdict, When
| the clerk read the finding the defendant
turned deadly pale, clasped his hands AMI
rocked unersily In his chair, During the
twenty minutes till court adjourned not
word or u look passed between him and
| his father, and when his father rose to
leave the court room The defendant re-
manned IN his chair. The counsel for the
| defendant gave his usual notice OF mo-
| ton for new trial, and the court set
Monday the Goth INST, for passing sen
tencc, The extreme penalty for man.
slaughter in this State is imprisonment
in the penitentiary for eight years, Pend.
| ing passing of sentence the defendant re-
mains at liberty under bonds, To say
that the verdict was surprise In the
community Is only stating the truth,
| From two members Of the jury II Is learn
ed TINT there was practically no disagree.
ment AS to the guilt of the defendant
The first ballot developed that fact, The
only question was rs TO the degree Of his
guilt, aud there was variety of opinions
on that point, aud the verdict Of man.
slaughter was not reached till after twenty
ballots were taken. InasmuCh MS " was
not claimed by the State that the defend
FAINT fired the fatal shot, and there was
evidence showing that just before the
shooting he said: Boys, give HIM black
eye" The verdict is. perhaps. all that
could be expected, The verdict is re
ccived here by the people generally with
every evidence Of satisfaction. Ii Is re-
garded rs indicating the policy OF the
State In the prosecution Of the Haddock
cases. The trial of Munchrath has de.
veloped much new evidence valuable to
the prosecution. II has absolutely con-
tradicted and scattered the alib which
Arensdorf attempted to set up In his trial,
There are already indications which go to
show that there need be no surprise IL
important developments in the way OF
further new evidence are forthcoming
within few days